Plasma arc torches are commonly used for the working of metal including cutting, welding, surface treatment, melting and annealing. Such torches include an electrode that supports an arc that extends from the electrode to a workpiece in a transferred-arc mode of operation. To facilitate operation, current is passed to the electrode to create the arc, which heats the electrode to high temperatures, causing erosion and reduction in electrode life. Thus, it is conventional to surround the arc with a vortex flow of plasma gas, and in some torch designs the plasma gas and arc are surrounded by a flow of secondary fluid such as a gas or water.